


Battle of the Nile: A Cat’s Tail

by John_Steiner



Series: The Napoleonic Wars, A Cat's Tail [2]
Category: alternate history with cats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:21:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22515388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: The Chartreux Cats of Napoleon's navy lurked in the mists of the Nile River. Captain Twinkles Foley of the HMS Goliath and his first officer, Winky Taylor must rout them out for the sake of Queen and Country.
Series: The Napoleonic Wars, A Cat's Tail [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619101
Kudos: 2





	Battle of the Nile: A Cat’s Tail

"That's it lads," the captain called out, his whiskers twitching, "Slow and steady."

"You sense it too, Sir?" Lieutenant Winky Taylor asked.

"Yes, Lieutenant," the captain, his piercing yellow eyes staring into the mist. "They're out here."

"You toms, up the rigging," Winky mewed, and whisked his tail up.

Short-haired crew cats ascended the rope ladders and the carpeted masts with ease, for that's how boarding maneuvers were done. Below the weather deck other cats crewed the guns, awaiting the order to raise the gun ports and push cannon into firing position.

Winky stood by Captain Twinkles Foley studying the confounding fog. A creak caused both tomcats' ears to perk up and forward. Captain Foley pulled Winky in to hiss quietly, "Quarter sails and steady as she goes."

Winky lightly trotted over to the helms-cat, "Steady as she goes, Mister Thompson," and then hopped down to where the Master of Sails stood and finished delivering the order, "Quarter sails, Master."

Returning to his captain's side, Winky saw a shift in the mist that revealed action was upon them.

"Larboard side guns," Captain Foley called out, "Fire!"

In meted sequence, portholes flipped open for guns to be shoved forward and fired two at a time. It was Foley's strategy to fire one ball and one chain-shot. Each cannon ball blasted the emerging French ship's hull, with splinters inducing hisses and screams among the Chartreux cats aboard.

Meanwhile, the even numbered guns fired two smaller balls bound by a chain into a bolo at the ship's masts. Around two thirds through the volley there came a tremendous crack and snaps erupted from the French Main Mast.

The rest of the guns fired, and then followed a pause, until the Main Mast teetered and fell. Cheers exploded from the HMS Goliath's crew.

"Helms-cat, hard to larboard!" Winky yeowed out.

The sharp turn caused the Goliath to tilt toward the French ship, whereon toms up the rigging could drop down with minimal risk of the Dreaded Drench of missing the ship and getting ocean water in their fur.

Toms on the weather deck wearing red were the royal marines, and fired their musket rifles across the French deck. A hand cannon mounted near the bow of the Goliath added to the barrage, all before the rigging toms landed on the enemy deck. Hissing, thrashing and growls blossomed across the French deck, with the sporadic crack-pow of a grenade going off after being thrown below decks.

In short order Chartreux cats were dead, too wounded to fight, or surrendering to British toms.

"Three cheers for Captain Foley!" Winky called out.

"Me-me-meow!" sounded the first among Goliath's crew, to be followed by, "Me-me-meow! Me-me-meow!"

Yet, Captain Twinkles Foley calmly surveyed the oceans where the fog was lifting. Elsewhere, other ships of Lord Fluff Nelson's squadron were also victorious, as French ships either sank or listing badly. The Battle of the Nile was won.


End file.
